An Open Letter to Yoko Ono

Blog Post by: Kevin Winge

March 26, 2013 - 8:20 AM

Dear Yoko Ono:

You’ve been criticized for a lot of things in you life: your art, your fashion, your relationship and marriage to John Lennon. You’ve certainly been pilloried for your views on issues of the day. While I get that criticism oftentimes accompanies fame and artistry and celebrity, there is one topic that you should not be criticized for addressing – your anti-gun campaign.

Anyone who witnesses their spouse being murdered by a man wielding a .38-caliber handgun should get a pass on being criticized for their views on gun control. You are more than entitled to your opinion on this issue and you should be applauded for continuing to speak out about it.

Your recent tweet (https://twitter.com/yokoono#) that shows your deceased husband’s bloodied eyeglasses beneath the heading “Over 1,057,000 people have been killed by guns in the U.S.A. since John Lennon was shot and killed on December 8, 1980” dramatically brings home the staggering scope of gun violence in the nation while poignantly reminding us that every victim of a shooting is someone’s spouse, parent, or child.

It takes unimaginable strength, resolve and courage, to use your experience from that December night outside of the Dakota in New York City, more than three decades ago, to push for changes to our gun laws in the United States. May these changes come to pass, and may your part in realizing a country with less gun violence be part of your legacy.